Phoebus,
Apollo, god of the sun
phoenix,
unique Arabian bird which, dying, is recreated from its own ashes
phraseless,
inexpressible
phthisic,
consumptive cough
physic dose with medicine
physical,
beneficial to health
pia mater,
brain
picked,
refined, fastidious
Pickt-hatch,
London district noted for brothels
pie,
magpie
piece,
cask of liquor, masterpiece; add to, augment
pied,
parti-coloured
pike,
spike in centre of buckler
pill,
plunder, rob, strip (of bark), make bald
pillicock,
penis
pin
and web, disease of the eye
pinch,
bite, pang; to bite, harass, distress
pismire,
ant
pitch,
high point of a falcon’s flight
place
position, office
placket,
petticoat, opening, slit
planched,
made of boards
plant,
sole of the foot
plantage,
plants
plash,
pool
plausible,
pleasing
plausibly,
with applause
plausive,
deserving of applause
Plautus,
Roman writer of comedy
pleached,
formed by intertwined overarched boughs, folded
pleasant,
merry, jokey
pleurisy,
abundance, excess
plight,
pledge
Pluto,
ruler of the underworld
Plutus,
god of riches
poach,
to thrust, stab
point,
highest point, conclusion, lace with tags (for attaching hose to doublet, etc.), full stop
poking-stick,
rod used for pleating ruffs
polecat,
prostitute
policy,
government, administration, prudence in managing public or private affairs, cunning, craftiness, trick
politic,
dealing with government and administration, crafty
politician,
schemer, scheming statesman
pomewater,
large juicy kind of apple
pomp,
procession, pageant
Pontic
sea, Black Sea
poop,
swamp, overwhelm
poor-john,
salted fish
popular,
plebeian, vulgar
popularity,
common pledge
porridge,
porrage, soup
porringer,
basin
port,
gate, bearing, style of living
portable,
bearable, endurable
portage,
portholes
portance,
behaviour
posied,
inscribed with a motto
possess,
inform, acquaint
posset,
drink of hot milk curdled with ale or wine; curdle, thicken
post,
post set up for notices, etc., doorpost on which tavern reckoning was kept, courier, messenger, post-horse; to hasten, carry swiftly
poster,
swift traveller
posy,
motto inscribed inside a ring
potable,
able to be drunk
potato,
sweet potato, supposedly aphrodisiac
potency,
power, authority
potent,
potentate
potential,
powerful
potting,
tippling
pouncet-box,
small box for perfumes
powder,
preserve meat with salt or spice
powdering-tub,
pickling-tub, sweating-tub used in cure of venereal disease
power,
army
pox,
syphilis, venereal disease
practice,
trickery, conspiracy, plot
practisant,
one who carries out a trick
practise,
plot, conspire
praemunire,
writ for maintaining papal jurisdiction in England
praetor,
Roman magistrate
praise,
appraise, value
prank,
adorn
prate,
chatter, prattle
precedent,
former; original from which a copy is made, sign
precisian,
puritan
precurrer,
forerunner
precurse,
heralding
predicament,
situation
prefer,
present, advance, introduce, recommend
preferment,
advancement, promotion
pregnancy,
quickness of wit
pregnant,
clear, fertile, compelling, resourceful, receptive
prejudicate,
influence beforehand
prejudice,
injury; injure
premise,
aforesaid matter
premised,
sent before
preparation,
accomplishment
preposterous,
inverting the natural order of things, monstrous
prerogative,
precedence, pre-eminence, prior place
presage,
omen, prognostication, foreboding
presence,
presence-chamber, company, person
present,
immediate, instant; ready money, to show, represent, bring a charge against
presently,
immediately
presentment,
dedication
press,
crowd, crowding, printing-press, cupboard, authority to enlist men compulsorily; to crowd, oppress, force into military service
pressure,
impression, character impressed
pretence,
expressed aim, intention, pretext
prevent,
anticipate, escape, avoid
prick,
mark made by pricking, dot, point, spot in centre of target, prickle, penis; to mark by making a dot, etc., pierce, fix, point, spur
pricket,
buck in its second year
prick-song,
music sung from notes
pride,
magnificence, splendid adornment, highest state, mettle, sexual desire
prig,
thief
prime,
first, chief, sexually excited; springtime
primogenitive,
first-born’s right to inherit
principal,
superior, abettor, principal rafter
princox,
pert youth
Priscian,
Roman grammarian
prithee,
please
private,
private person
privates,
sexual organs
prize,
contest; to value, esteem
prizer,
prize-fighter, wrestler
probal,
to, able to bear the probe or examination of
probation,
trial, proof
proceeder,
one proceeding to a university degree
procurator,
proxy
prodigious,
ominous, portentous, monstrous, abnormal
proditor,
traitor
proface,
‘may it do you good’, formula of welcome before a meal
profited,
proficient
progeny,
lineage, race
progress,
royal journey in state
project,
notion, idea; set forth, exhibit
projection,
plan
prolixious,
prolonged
prolong,
postpone
Prometheus,
stole fire from heaven and was chained to Mount Caucasus
prone,
ready, eager
proof,
test, trial, experience, issue, result
propend,
incline
proper,
(one’s) own, private, peculiar, excellent, handsome
property,
identity, particular quality, take possession of, endow with qualities, make a tool of
proportion,
portion, division, relative size, proportioning, rhythm
propose,
put forward, set before one’s mind, suppose, converse
propriety,
identity, proper state
propugnation,
defence
prorogue,
prolong, postpone
prosecution,
pursuit
Proserpina,
daughter of Ceres, carried away by Pluto to become queen of hell
prosperous,
favourable
Proteus,
a sea-god, able to assume different shapes
protractive,
consisting in delay
proud,
elated, giving cause for pride, lofty, splendid, spirited, swollen, over-luxuriant, sexually excited
prove,
try, test, find by experience, experience
publish,
make known, proclaim, denounce
pucelle,
virgin, maid, slut
puck,
pixy, mischievous spirit
pudding,
sausage, stuffing
pudency,
modesty
puissance,
strength, armed force
puissant,
strong, powerful
pumpion,
pumpkin
punk,
prostitute, harlot
punto reverso,
back-handed thrust in fencing
puny,
novice, person of small account
purblind,
quite blind, partially blind
purchase,
booty, prize, annual rent from land; to strive, gain, acquire otherwise than by inheritance
purgation,
clearing from accusation or suspicion
purlieu,
tract of land bordering on a forest
purpose,
proposal, conversation
pursuivant,
junior attendant on heralds, herald, messenger
pursy,
short-winded, fat
purveyor,
steward going ahead to make provision
putter
on, instigator
puttock,
bird of prey, kite, buzzard
quail,
prostitute; to fail, faint, overpower
quaint,
skilful, clever, dainty, line, beautiful, elaborate
qualification,
calm and controlled condition
qualify,
moderate, mitigate, appease, control, dilute
quality,
accomplishment, rank, profession, party, side, manner, cause
quarry,
heap of slaughtered game
quarter,
part, watch, relations with and conduct towards another
quat,
pimple